


The Shallow End

by bluphacelia



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Crime, Gen, Heist, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 19:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8173219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluphacelia/pseuds/bluphacelia
Summary: "Welcome to cellblock 1" -- Oikawa is sent to jail for a crime he allegedly didn't commit. The Nekoma-tachi is a well known cat burglar gang. The Fukurodani syndicate is a notorious underground group. And the Academy-trained magic cadets hold order over all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had a bunch of help from [Teasdays](www.teasdays.tumblr.com)!

Light filtered through the alley from a flickering streetlamp at the busy intersection. Shadows danced on the walls as a truck drove by -- noise absurdly loud even with the forever din of the city streets. It was impossible to tell the time of night, moon hidden beyond the horizon and the stars shy behind scattered clouds and light pollution.

"Now, remember what I told you, Kentarou," a voice floated down the lonely alley, as two figures turned a corner and stopped just out of reach. "Don't let me down." The slim figure leaned forward, hands cupping the hooded figure’s cheeks, and kissed him on the lips, slow, like he meant it. The men stood facing each other and the moment stretched.

"Yes," the hooded figure mumbled with a gasp as their lips parted, his eyes dark behind his cowl. "What about - ?" He continued, but the slim figure shook his head.

"Let me worry about the Shade," he said, and patted Kentarou on the shoulder. Kentarou nodded and looked down at his boots. "Good boy," the slim figure said, and sent him off with a sad but affectionate smile. 

He watched the hooded figure for a few seconds longer, before he slipped back into the shadows and was gone.

* * *

"Oikawa," Ushijima's voice boomed in the small room as he entered through the only door. There was a table at the center with a single lamp, and a mirrored window next to the door--just like in the movies. Oikawa grinned and waved at the unseen people on the other side, hands cuffed to the table.

" _Oikawa_ \-- part magic, from what I hear," Kindaichi muttered, as he looked into the room through the mirrored window. Ushijima began listing Oikawa's alleged crimes as the accused leaned back in his chair, looking right at home.

"He is," Matsukawa muttered, gnawing at his lip. "Fair folk are tricky."

"It's rare to catch one in the first place," Iwaizumi said, arms crossed as he watched Ushijima sit down across from Oikawa. He realized his foot was tapping against the floor, and he stopped himself, balancing on the balls of his feet for a second before falling back onto his heels.

"He doesn't look like he's very worried," Kunimi said, crowding closer to the window and nudging Kindaichi. They peered into the room beyond.

"Now then," Ushijima's voice boomed, and Iwaizumi saw Oikawa roll his eyes."I know what you're capable of, Oikawa. You should really reconsider--" 

"Oh, Ushiwaka! You know my answer," Oikawa chirped, lolling his head to the side. 

Ushijima laid his clipboard down on the table and interlaced his fingers on top. "You were one of the best cadets--" Ushijima continued, only to be interrupted again. 

"Until I dropped out, yes, I know the story, Ushiwaka. I was there."

"What's the story?" Kindaichi whispered, glancing at his two senior officers, who were glaring daggers at Ushijima's back.

"Oikawa was in our year, back at the academy," Iwaizumi growled.

"Don't belittle yourself, Iwaizumi," Matsukawa said. "They were childhood friends," he said glancing at Kindaichi.

"What! Why haven't I heard about this?" Kindaichi asked, eyes going wide as he gazed back at Oikawa. He was withstanding Ushijima's lecture better than most, managing to look haughty and bored at the same time.

"He dropped out due to family matters before the end of second year," Matsukawa muttered, casting a threatening glance at Kindaichi. "He disappeared after that."

Iwaizumi held his notepad in a white knuckled grip. "I haven't seen him in five years." 

"Was he really at the top of his class?" Kunimi asked. 

"How have _you_ heard of him?" Kindaichi furrowed his brows.

"I'm surprised you haven't. He's famous!" Kunimi continued, and as they watched, Oikawa yawned and then shot a toothy smile and a wink to the group behind the glass. "Iwaizumi's back there, isn't he, Ushiwaka-cha~n?" Oikawa suddenly cut in through Ushijima's tirade, shocking both rooms into silence.

The three men crammed in front of the meter of glass glanced at Iwaizumi, who squared his jaw.

"I'm not going in there, even if he asks for me," Iwaizumi stated, the tops of his cheekbones dusted red -- either from anger or embarrassment, it was impossible to say. He glanced at Matsukawa before turning, effectively fleeing the room, to the chagrin of the others.

"What happened there?" Kunimi asked, but his train of thought was interrupted by Oikawa's voice filtering into the room. "Hey, Ushiwaka-chan! Can't you just let me go with a warning?" Oikawa cajoled, eyes wide and innocent as he leaned over the table at the stoic Ushijima. The large man cleared his throat and gathered the clipboard off the table.

"Did they have a thing?" Kunimi voiced the question floating in the junior officers’ minds.

"Everyone had a thing for Oikawa," Matsukawa replied, uncrossing his arms. He pressed the intercom button on the side of the two way mirror. "That's enough, Ushijima." Ushijima jumped visibly at his words. He stiffly pushed his chair back and stood, slowly making his way out of the room.

A minute later, Ushijima opened the door to the small room and lumbered in. Matsukawa quirked an eyebrow at him as Ushijima sat heavily at the small desk in the corner.

"How was it?" Matsukawa asked.

"I think he's gotten better--or maybe worse." Ushijima shivered.

"Any chance we can pin this one on him?" Matsukawa glanced back at Oikawa who was slumped forward on the table painting the tiny wood grains with a finger.

"I don't know if we can," Ushijima sighed. "Not unless the other guy retracts his statement. At most, we can lock him up for seventy-two hours while we continue our investigation."

"Do you think that's wise? Throwing him in with the others?" Matsukawa asked. The room fell silent and Kunimi turned away from the glass to study his peers. The two older officers were rigid, jaws locked tight; Iwaizumi's quick escape from Oikawa minutes earlier had left a noticeable void in the room.

"Did he test for any magical ability at the academy?" Kunimi's voice pierced through the dense atmosphere. 

Matsukawa turned to Kunimi, frowning. "Some latent abilities, nothing spectacular. He was very talented at wielding it though. Very creative," he replied, scratching the back of his neck.

"I think I have an idea -- no, wait and listen--" Kunimi quirked his finger, summoning the other's closer as he laid out his plan. Ushiwaka stood, chair scraping back, as he reluctantly joined the huddle. 

"--that might actually work," Matsukawa mused and tilted his head. Kunimi smirked and glanced back at Oikawa who was drumming his fingers on the table--waiting.

* * *

"Three rings -- chain with a -- what is this? A pendant?--"

Oikawa rolled his eyes as he waited for the dark-haired lady to process his belongings. Soon enough, she thrust an ugly orange and black jumpsuit at him and directed him into another room to change. He returned with his clothes neatly folded in a tray.

"Any lingering magical residue? -- Yachi -- _Yachi!_ " the lady turned to a blond woman -- but Oikawa could only think of her as a girl -- who dashed out of the back room to select a number of vials from behind the counter.

"I have them here, Shimizu-san!" Yachi cried as she nearly tripped over her own feet. Luckily the vials landed on the table, still stoppered. Oikawa quirked his eyebrow at Yachi, who blushed furiously and disappeared hurriedly into the back room.

"Hold out your hands, please," Shimizu instructed as she pulled on black surgical gloves and opened a vial with utmost care. A small sprinkling of dust erupted from the vial causing Oikawa to frown, but did as she asked. She took the vial in hand and sprinkled a tiny amount of powder onto his hands and told him to rub them together. Oikawa complied with a grimace. The powder left a soft iridescent residue on his hands and they tingled a bit. He spread the substance with his thumb along his long fingers.

Oikawa looked down at his hands. The substance felt oily, repulsive. "What is this stuff?"

"Basic precaution," Shimizu responded as she stoppered the vial, carefully setting it down before taking the second one. The second vial was dark, but the powder emerged white and glittering, like miniscule shards of glass. She measured out a tiny amount into a small scoop made out of green glass. She took a careful breath to the side, away from the powder, and then blew the dust toward Oikawa. It billowed out, swirling in the air and then with a sudden burst of momentum created a circular vacuum around him. Oikawa frowned at the glowing particles as they landed softly in his hair, on his face, arms, legs. Shimizu coughed and the remaining dust fell to the ground, losing its glow.

"The officer who escorted you here told you the basic rules and regulations, but I'll summarize them for you quickly." Shimizu took her clipboard and wrote something down, before flipping to another page. "You're being kept in this facility for seventy-two hours for investigative purposes. You will be treated just like all the other inmates, with no special treatment for your circumstances. If you wish to use your free phone call, you can ask any of the guards to do so. You won't be released on bail at this time, but these circumstances might change during your stay with us and you'll be notified accordingly. The residue of the first dusting will alert anyone nearby if you use your magical abilities, so I'd advise against it," Shimizu read through her list.

"What about the second?" Oikawa asked as Shimizu called for one of the guards loitering nearby.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's just for your own protection," Shimizu said. She handed the clipboard to the guard -- a perfectly proportioned man with a face meant for smiling. He wasn't smiling now. "Sugawara, take him to cellblock 1, please."

The corridors leading to cellblock 1 were lined with nondescript concrete walls, a twisting maze clearly meant to confuse and disorient new inmates. There was an arching wooden gate of a dark solid wood and Sugawara handed him off to another guard, who ushered him inside through the door. The guard glanced up at him and Oikawa gave the man--short, but fit in his crisp clean uniform, red hair either craftily coiffed or finger combed bedhead.

"When you step through this gate, you'll be unable to do magic. Even picking up a magical instrument will be unpleasant,” Sugawara warned, “so I'd avoid picking up daisies in the exercise yard." With those parting words, he passed the clipboard to the new guard and locked the door behind him as he left.

"Welcome to cellblock 1," the new guard said with a grin. "I'd listen to what Sugawara-san said. You're only here for short term so just sit tight, don't get in trouble, and you'll be out of here before you know it."

"So what's your name?" Oikawa asked as he followed the redhead down the corridor toward what he assumed to be the cells.

"My name is Hinata, but You can call me _Officer_ Hinata," the man said as he pulled out a keyring.

"Are you the ward of this block?" Oikawa asked, as Hinata fumbled with the right key before sticking it into the lock. Hinata shot him a glance before pulling the door open and ushering him inside.

"I'm the junior officer on this block," Hinata said as he locked the door behind them. "I'm here with Officer Kageyama."

"Kageyama?" Oikawa rolled the name around in his mouth. It sounded vaguely familiar.

"I don't get why he got to be full officer anyway. We're the same age. We graduated in the same grade from the academy. It's not like he had better grades than I did. Of course he's a lot taller than I am, but it's not like that means anything when it comes to this job! I'm just as fit as he is and I'm really good at cantrips. I'd even say I'm better than he is, at least with anything to do with--" Oikawa tuned out the man as he took in where he was being led.

Hinata cleared his throat as he pulled out his keyring again. "I need to tell you a few things before I show you your cell. There is a no-violence policy in this prison. There is also a no-magic policy. Food will be brought in three times a day by me or another officer. You'll be allowed to go outside twice a day at ten am and four pm. Showers are open from six to eight in the morning and at night. Stay out of trouble and your stay will be short and pleasant." Oikawa peered over Hinata's shoulder through the small opening into the space beyond. From what he could see, cellblock one1 was a large circular room with two doors and ten cells spiraling out from the central open space. There were a few tables with chairs bolted to the floor, but otherwise the room was an ugly gray with nothing but inmates strolling around looking at them -- curious.

Oikawa quirked his eyebrow and pasted a pleasant smile on his lips. "Thank you for your concern, _Officer_ Hinata." Oikawa leaned in over the shorter officer, who squawked and hastily turned around to fiddle with the lock.

The room ahead had a high vaulted ceiling and the moment Oikawa stepped inside he felt a sudden chill in the pit of his stomach, as the air felt old and stale. He shivered, and realized the air was parched of magic. He felt the small hairs of his arms raise up and he resisted the urge to hug himself as he followed Hinata. The officer led him to an open cell chattering about how there was no electricity or magic allowed in any of the cellblocks.

"This is your cell." Hinata waved Oikawa inside. Oikawa looked around the small room, feeling the prickling stares of the other inmates at his back. "Your cellmate is Tanaka. I wouldn't get too friendly..." The last bit was whispered with a glance around the empty cell. "Anyway. Be good! See you at dinner time!"

Oikawa watched Hinata bounce out of the cell, through the hall and out the door. He turned around, inspecting his surroundings. The room wasn't very big, with a single bunk bed and not much else. The walls were bare, if you didn't count the myriad of anti-magic runes carved into the concrete.

"They did a good job. Not a single wiff of magic in this place," a voice spoke from behind Oikawa. He turned and faced a man with short cropped hair, jumpsuit tied at the waist showing off the standard white top he wore underneath. He wore a grin and leaned against the cell door like he owned the place.

"Tanaka?" Oikawa guessed and turned away from the wall, sticking his hands into his pockets.

The man shrugged and stepped inside."Top bunk’s mine," he said and turned toward the bed. 

Oikawa stepped forward, hand falling on the railing, trapping Tanaka between his arm and the bed frame. Tanaka turned his head with a scowl, but it quickly slipped off his face as Oikawa's sly smile didn't waver.

"Cop, or ex-cop?" Oikawa asked, finger trailing down Tanaka's arm. He watched the tirade of emotions run across Tanaka's face -- confusion, realization, alarm. "Don't worry. I won't blow your cover. I'm here for my three days and then I'm out."

"You're confident," Tanaka muttered as he sat down.

Oikawa yawned and stretched, moving away from Tanaka's space before glancing back. "I didn't do anything wrong." 

"That's what they all say." Tanaka nodded at the bigger room. "How--?" Oikawa tapped his nose, smiled and promptly ignored the other man. 

Oikawa walked to the door, peering outside. Most of the inmates stayed in their cells, it seemed. From the looks of it, cellblock 1 was a holding facility where inmates waited to be moved elsewhere, so there would be no clear ties between the inmates here. Ten cells would make twenty inmates. Not too large, but it meant slim pickings for information. He looked up at the domed ceiling, where tiny lights flittered about, illuminating the space. The cell behind him had a small, unlit candle on a shelf, which he assumed was used when they turned off the fairy lights in the evening. This should be interesting.

* * *

There was a chill in the air as Hinata led the inmates out into the yard. The yard -- if you could call it that -- was a courtyard surrounded by five walls, each one hosting a single door, creating a huge pentagon. As it was Oikawa's turn to step outside, he felt his skin prickle and suddenly there was magic in the air again. He gasped and blinked wildly as he was suddenly surrounded by the ever-present iridescent feeling of pure _life_ that was magic, a feeling which had been sucked out by the anti-magic wards inside.

Oikawa kept walking, shrugging off the feeling as best he could before he peered around curiously, making sure to keep his facade of nonchalance intact as he walked past the other inmates. There was a flash of blond as more inmates filtered through the other doors starting to fill up the other quadrants of the yard. 

Oikawa sighed and looked away eyes locking onto a short, non-descript man who was also watching the other inmates file into the yard. "They let us mingle with the other cellblocks?" Oikawa asked him.

"Of course not," the man replied in a low voice. "There are barriers between the zones." He turned to look at Oikawa. "You're new, aren't you? Welcome to the cellblock. What did you do?"

Oikawa grinned. "Nothing. Just a tourist," he said and continued to watch the people arrive. "What's with this facility anyway?" 

The man gave Oikawa a sideways glance."Not many people would choose this as a tourist location," he said, crossing his arms. 

They stood in silence, watching the prisoners mingle quietly in the yard. The doors began to close as the last inmate stepped through, and Oikawa watched Hinata hold the door as another guard stepped out into the open yard. It was the first time Oikawa saw him -- presumably, this was Kageyama. The dark-haired man turned around and lifted his gaze, looking across his crowd of inmates. Oikawa felt their eyes meet and let his gaze slide past slowly, even though he felt the bottom of his stomach drop.

"You're part fae, aren't you?" the man beside him stated suddenly, causing Oikawa to snap his gaze back to him. The man looked up, expression unwavering as his brown eyes pierced through Oikawa.

"No, why?" Oikawa said, pasting a confused look on his face.

"You're oozing," the man said, not letting Oikawa pull his gaze away. Oikawa took a deep breath and brought himself under control.

"How--?" Oikawa started, blinking, suddenly wary as the man turned his gaze away.

"I'm half myself."

"Quarter, grandmother," Oikawa replied automatically and crossed his arms, suddenly feeling cold. This would complicate his plan if there was someone who could read him so easily.

"Mother. I'm not going to expose you." Oikawa blinked and turned back to look down at the man, who gave him a small smile and a meaningful look. "Because you're going to help me."

Oikawa swallowed uneasily.

"Yaku," the man said, and took a step toward Oikawa. "I'll talk to you later." He walked away.

* * *

It was the first night. Oikawa stared at the bottom of the top bunk, listening to the sound of each cell door closing slowly and locking with a feeling of finality.

"Tanaka and Oikawa?" Hinata's voice echoed in their room. 

Tanaka grumbled and dropped down from his bunk. "I'm here," he said and stalked to the front of the cell.

"Oikawa?" Hinata's voice pierced through the lackluster air, and Oikawa sighed and rolled out of the bottom bunk, feet landing on the ground. 

"I'm here," Oikawa said, taking the few steps it took to get to the bars.

"Just got to make sure." Hinata smiled and pulled out his keyring. "Since it's your first night here, I'll explain to you the procedure. I'll be locking the doors, and they will be reopened at six tomorrow morning. If there is any trouble, there is a night guard on duty. Tonight, the night guard will be Kageyama. He’ll do his rounds making sure everyone is safe inside their cells."

Hinata grabbed a key and pulled at the heavy barred cell door, sliding it in place and locking it.

"Have a good night," Hinata said, and Oikawa watched him jog to the next cell.

"So, does Kageyama usually do night rounds?" Oikawa asked, as Tanaka made his way back to his upper bunk.

"Shines a light down to see that everyone's still accounted for, and everything. As if there was any way to break out with all the wards in place," Tanaka said, as Oikawa leaned against the bars, watching Hinata make the last of his rounds before disappearing through the main door. The lights above dimmed, and Oikawa watched them wink out one by one, leaving him in the dark.

Oikawa waited a bit longer, arms hanging past the bars as he let his eyes adjust to the only light flickering in the hallway outside the door toward freedom, but soon enough Tanaka's snores intensified. He sighed, turning and climbing back into his bed.

* * *

A bouncing light woke Oikawa from his light doze. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, sweeping his gaze quickly to the cell doors. The bobbing light illuminated a small portion of the opposite side of the common room, soft glow pulsing every so often as -- presumably -- Kageyama pulled open the small shutter on his lantern to peer into each cell one by one. Oikawa leaned back, keeping his eyes on Kageyama as long as he could, only slipping out of bed when the light disappeared from view.

Tanaka's snores echoed in the cell, perfectly hiding the soft sound of his movements. Oikawa moved forward, inching toward the bars and finally sliding to the side making sure he was in sleeping man's blind spot. Oikawa didn't fully trust the authenticity of his snores. 

He could hear quiet footsteps as Kageyama made his way around the room, shining his light to each cell, counting inmates. It didn't take long until it was Oikawa's turn.

The light shone bright and flickered up and then down as Kageyama realized the bottom bunk was empty.

"Tobio," Oikawa purred, and leaned against the bars -- he'd made sure that it was safe, earlier in the day -- just normal metal bars carved with anti-magic runes. Kageyama stopped in his tracks. "Will you put the light down?" Oikawa asked softly, and he could just make out Kageyama's face in the darkness. Kageyama turned his head around, blinking blindly toward Oikawa.

"Oikawa-san," Kageyama said, his voice slow and meticulous as he pronounced each letter of Oikawa's name with a shuddering breath. "I didn't know it was you."

"Tobio-chan," Oikawa repeated Kageyama's name, his voice soft and smooth. Oikawa leaned against the crossbar, hands hanging out as he rested his forearms on the metal. "It is so good to see you."

* * *

The morning outing to the yard played out just the same as it had the afternoon before. Oikawa watched the other inmates walk slowly out of their lifeless cells into the crisp magic filled air. He didn't shiver this time as he took that final step outside; instead simply walked out, avoiding the other inmates as he peered around to the sections where the other cellblocks dispersed their loads of joyless humanity.

He turned around and stood, keeping his back toward the wall, Waiting.

"You learned something," Yaku said, appearing beside Oikawa. Oikawa blinked and kept his features neutral as he continued to survey the other sections, trying to spot anyone familiar.

"I did learn something," Oikawa confirmed, and glanced at Yaku, who had crossed his arms against his chest. "I didn't know you were a part of the Nekoma-tachi before it disbanded a while back."

Yaku bristled and shot a glare at Oikawa. Oikawa felt the spike in energy from the shorter man, before it was quickly dampened back to normal, unassuming levels that screamed, _avoid me -- don't look at me -- I'm not worth your time_.

"That's a neat trick," Oikawa said, not letting Yaku's sudden loss of composure affect him.

"How- no, you wouldn't tell me," Yaku muttered. "So you found out." He turned to face Oikawa fully, eyebrows furrowed. "Will you help me?"

Oikawa smirked, quirking his eyebrow. "I'll help you, if you help me," he said nonchalantly. 

"You're going to make me regret this." Yaku sighed, but held out his hand anyway.

"I can't," Oikawa said, and raised his palm up -- there was still a sheen of residue that played off the sun's rays. "My hands are tied." He leaned over Yaku, who tensed, untrusting. "But if you'll let me. I can seal our deal in another way."

Yaku glanced down at Oikawa's hand and then back up to his face. He took a deep breath, and held up the back of his hand to Oikawa. "You already know, don't you?" Yaku asked, as Oikawa took his hand gently, lifting it to his lips.

"I do, Yaku Morisuke," Oikawa said against Yaku's knuckles. They locked eyes as Oikawa continued to hold Yaku's hand. Yaku scowled and lowered his gaze.

"What is it you want to know?" Yaku asked, forcefully pulling his hand free, cradling it against his chest as though he'd suffered a wound.

"In which cellblock are the others?" Oikawa asked, turning back to look at the yard.

"I'm not clairvoyant," Yaku growled, sulking.

"But you _do_ know?" Oikawa prompted raising an eyebrow. 

Yaku sighed and ran his fingers through his hair."There are two other yards similar to this one. One is connected to cellblocks six to ten, and the other eleven to fifteen. Kuroo is in eight and Kozume is in thirteen. The higher the number, the more secure the facility,” Yaku explained. “If you think cellblock one is magic tight, you should visit the others," 

"Is there any way of getting word to them-?" Yaku was already shaking his head before Oikawa could finish his sentence.

"No, there's no way. Not unless you bribe a guard, and with the idiots, there is just no way," Yaku replied. Oikawa frowned. 

"Is there something that would alert Kuroo and Kozume that it's a message from you?" Oikawa asked. 

Yaku sighed again."You're leaving tomorrow, right?" Oikawa nodded. "I don't know how you'll pull this off, but there is something..."

* * *

Matsukawa watched Oikawa as he gathered his things, slipping the final ring on his finger and looping his pendant around his neck. They'd done what they could to monitor him, but there was only so much they could do inside the prison. Their jurisdiction ended at the doors. 

"How sweet." Oikawa walked up to Matsukawa, who pushed off the wall and tailed him to the doors. "Did Iwaizumi send you? You're still close right?"

"He doesn't know I'm here. He doesn't even know you were incarcerated." Matsukawa held the door.

"I was barely incarcerated," Oikawa said, as they walked down the cement steps. "You couldn't find anything on me, could you?" He gave Matsukawa a wide smile, causing the other man to roll his eyes.

"You're clean," Matsukawa muttered. "Surprisingly clean. What have you been doing for the past five years?"

Oikawa shrugged."Went traveling around the world. Saw many amazing sites. Just got back, and this is how you treat me. You _wound_ me, Mattsun." Oikawa held his hands to his heart, giving Matsukawa a forlorn look.

"Don't call me that," Matsukawa growled, and stopped at the edge of the street. "You lost the privilege years ago."

Oikawa dropped the act, eyes bright in the midafternoon sun."What do you want?" 

"I'm doing this as a favor -- don't do anything I wouldn't do. Better yet, leave the city. You aren't wanted here, and you bring back too many memories." 

A bus rattled by and drew to a stop.

"That's my ride," Oikawa said, nudging his thumb in the bus's direction. "It was good seeing you, Mattsun." He turned around, leaving Matsukawa to glare at his back as he boarded the bus.

* * *

The wind picked up as the sun kissed the horizon, flooding the sky in hues of orange and red. Slowly, rush hour traffic subsided, and stars twinkled through the ragged clouds above. The neighborhood was still, the only sounds coming from open windows and a lonely dog barking in somebody's yard. The night deepened, and a soft mist rolled over the street, lapping around the ankles of a lone figure

Slowly a hum of energy filled the air, followed by soft electric crackling. There was cloud of vapid darkness near the intersection oozing out from thin air. Two figures stumbled through, landing poorly only to wrench themselves back up and out of the way to avoid the two others already stepping through the portal after them. The dark mist subsided leaving them stranded on that quiet street in the neighborhood. 

A shadow detached itself from the other side of the street, avoiding the sudden splatter as one of the figures emptied his stomach on the sidewalk.

"You did good," Oikawa purred as he stepped up to the only unphased man of the quartet. He glanced at his ragtag team -- Kozume, leaning his head down as he gagged again; Kuroo at his side holding his hair back, not looking too good himself. The one who seemed least affected was Yaku -- his only sign of change being the slight pallor to his cheeks.

"All in one piece?" Oikawa addressed the group.

"Barely," Kuroo growled, and eyed him up and down, distrustful. "Who are you? Yaku never mentioned you."

"I'm the person who broke you out," Oikawa said, voice lilting as he rocked on his heels, not moving from Kageyama's side.

"He broke us out," Kuroo glanced at Kageyama who stood still, staring at the ground. "What the fuck did you do?"

"Now, now. Don't be rude," Oikawa scolded. "I'll explain everything, but this place isn't safe." He turned to look at Kageyama. Oikawa tipped Kageyama's chin back and smiled, causing Kageyama's cheeks to flood with color.

"You did well, Tobio-chan," Oikawa purred. "You brought my friends here safely. I just need one more favor, okay?" 

Kageyama blinked, and nodded.

"Let me." Oikawa grasped Kageyama's hand and closed his eyes. Kuroo watched him from under his brows, rubbing small circles around the small of Kozume's back. Yaku had drifted to his other side, unnoticed, but that was nothing unusual. Oikawa opened his eyes again. He lifted his free hand and opened a portal -- just like the one Kageyama had taken them through minutes before.

"Not another one," Kozume groaned, leaning heavily against Kuroo.

"Just one more and we'll be safe," Kuroo muttered, hoping the words were true.

"When you go through-," Oikawa said; There was something a little off about him, but Kuroo turned, helping Kozume toward the portal. "-you'll be in a safe house. I'll follow as soon as I can." Yaku shifted on the other side of Kozume, taking his elbow, guiding him toward the portal.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Kuroo asked, hesitating, only to have Yaku guide the unresisting Kozume through into the darkness, leaving him behind.

"This would be a very elaborate trap -- having gone the trouble of breaking you out and all," Oikawa said, a drop of sweat sliding down his cheek and falling, soaking into his dark shirt. "I'll explain everything to you the next time we meet."

Kuroo shrugged, and stepped through. He would go where Kozume went, even if that would be through the portal. 

There was a flicker, and the portal started to shrink behind him. Kuroo turned back, watching as Kageyama's arm circled around Oikawa's waist, hand gently wiping away the perspiration off his cheek. The portal winked closed, leaving Kuroo in the dark, the last image of Oikawa pulling Kageyama down for a kiss playing again in his mind's eye.

* * *

The house was located somewhere in the suburbs of an unknown city. Kuroo had made sure that Kozume was resting in a bed upstairs, and that Yaku had given him the all clear, before he went to explore. 

He shifted. 

Kuroo watched Yaku open the door and pranced down the steps into the backyard, footsteps light on the soft grass. He peered around. The yard wasn't too large, surrounded by an impenetrable wooden fence. He eyed the tree for a second -- one of two large oaks, branches swinging across the roof. He leapt, claws digging into the bark as he scaled high enough to easily make it to the roof. He dropped down onto the tiles, landing easily, sitting down to survey his surroundings. The view was as he'd expected -- an endless series of houses, every house looking the same as far as the eye could see. There were kids playing on the streets, the sun low enough to assume it was late afternoon. 

Kuroo made another circuit around the house, but, not finding anything interesting, he slunk back down.

Yaku waited for him on the porch, sitting on a weather-worn wooden bench, feet resting on the white handrail -- paint flaked off as he shifted. Kuroo sat watching him for a moment. 

"It's really rude when you just stare at me like that," Yaku said after a moment, not taking his eyes off the book he had found somewhere.

"How do you always know it's me?" Kuroo asked as he sat down next to him, swinging his long legs to rest on the handrail, which groaned lightly in protest.

"You look exactly the same," Yaku replied, and glanced at him.

"How's Kenma?" Kuroo asked, leaning back, resting his head against the wall.

"Still sleeping. It always surprises how bad he is with magic. Going through three portals really knocked him out." Yaku sighed and closed the book.

"What do you think about him?" Kuroo asked, not diverting his eyes from the wood swirls still visible through the paint.

"He frightens me," Yaku replied quietly. Kuroo turned to him, eyes wide with surprise. "But he did help us, so we owe him a debt." Kuroo watched Yaku rub his knuckles unconsciously, then start as he realized what he was doing. 

"You said he was part fae. Did you make a deal with him?" Kuroo frowned. "You didn't include us, did you? No, I’d feel something if you had. What did you tell him? How much does he know?"

"Calm down, it's fine." Yaku shot him a glare. "He can't do anything like that to me. It's more of an exchange of equal value. He wants our help on a job. Well, yours and Kenma's. That was the reason he was in prison in the first place. I just happened to stumble upon him. What were the odds he would be in the same block as me?"

Kuroo snapped his fingers. "The guard?" 

"Yeah. There are just too many coincidences. I don't like it. But he was smart not letting the guard know where we were taken."

"You think he'll come?"

"He'll come."

* * *

The third day dawned chilly and wet. Kozume had recovered after a good night's rest and was delighted to find the basement filled with electronic gadgets and computer parts. He had been reluctant to leave the room ever since. Kuroo took to scouting the area, but there was nothing interesting within a mile's radius, and he gave up trying to figure out where they were located. He didn't dare venture further if it meant leaving the others unguarded.

The rain pattered against the windowpanes and the humidity made the windows weep as Yaku made breakfast. Kuroo sat at the small kitchen table, fooling around with the tablet Kozume had dug out for him, but without wifi or any other mean of going online, the thing was useless for reconnaissance purposes.

"Come eat breakfast!" Yaku yelled at the basement door, but got no answer. He frowned at Kuroo and shooed him out of his seat. Kuroo sighed and slunk across the room to the basement door.

"Kenma?" Kuroo called out, but getting no reply, he ventured down. "There's food."

"I'll eat in a bit," Kenma's voice said, and it took Kuroo a moment to find him, underneath a table.

"What are you doing, kitten?" Kuroo asked, squatting down. 

"I managed to build a powerful enough transmitter that we can-" Kuroo tuned Kozume out and reached down under the table, grabbing a thin ankle and pulling the squirming Kozume out, along with a good handful of dust bunnies. 

"Have you slept?" Kuroo asked, as Kozume blinked at him in the sudden influx of light.

"I made a transmitter. Lock it into the power grid, and we should get unlimited, uncontrolled wifi wherever. Of course we should lock it into a neighbor's powersource, or better yet, straight into a local hub-" Kozume continued where he left off, causing Kuroo to roll his eyes, yank him up to his feet, and parade him toward the stairs to the kitchen.

"There's eggs and toast," Yaku said as he placed plates in front of the two. Kozume poked at his toast and Yaku rolled his eyes pulling out a jar of jam and placing it next to his plate. Kozume hummed and brought his feet up onto the chair, lifting himself up a bit as he smeared jam over his bread.

"How much longer do you think it'll take?" Kuroo asked as Yaku sat down, pouring himself a glass of milk.

"There's still plenty of food in the fridge-" Yaku froze, half a forkful of eggs held in place. "Fuck. We should have just stolen a newspaper this morning. God dammit, why didn't I think of that before. It's too late for today, though."

"Oh, I know where we are. About a hundred miles from the prison, the city's around -- I don't know. Thirty minute drive away by car," Kozume said between bites of toast. 

The two others stared at him.

"What?" Yaku asked, gritting his teeth.

"Oh, yeah. It was an easy calculation, I -- why are you looking at me like that?" Kozume blinked slowly, licking his fingers.

"Did you not -- did you not realize you should have let us know?" Yaku asked, placing his fork down before he used it to stab someone.

"Oh -" Kozume looked thoughtful pushing the eggs around on his plate. "- you didn't ask," he finally continued, slipping his feet on the ground and shuffling to make more toast.

"How do you deal with him?" Yaku asked, turning to Kuroo, who was biting his lip to keep himself from laughing.

"It's not like it matters," Kuroo said, and shrugged. "All we can do is wait. If he doesn't show up in the next couple of days, I say we just go. I think waiting a week is more than enough time to negate my debt to him."

"So, breaking you out of a high security prison is worth...five days of waiting?" 

Kuroo's gaze snapped toward the newcomer, only to see Oikawa leaning against the doorframe.

"What were the odds of you walking in on me saying that?" Kuroo asked, leaning back on his chair, eyeing the newcomer. 

Oikawa looked worn, from the slight pallor of his skin to the mud splattered on his jeans. He grinned and uncrossed his arms, pushing himself off the door and stepping into the kitchen.

"No guard today?" Yaku asked as he stood, making room for Oikawa to sit down, clearing his own plate away. " - Breakfast?"

"I'm good, thank you," Oikawa said, and sat down heavily. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "I sent the guard home. Anyway, he doesn't belong to me anymore."

"How, then -?" Yaku asked, frowning as he dumped his plate to the sink.

"I was his first." Oikawa shrugged, and Kuroo couldn't help but frown at the strange conversation.

"You think he'll expose you?" Yaku turned to Oikawa, and suddenly Kuroo was very much interested.

"He won't. Also he doesn't know where I am." Oikawa turned to Kuroo. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table eyes catching Kuroo's gaze. "That's the reason I was late. I don't want to hand you back to the authorities until I'm done with you." Kuroo bristled. "Of course, if you do as I ask, and do this one easy job for me. I'll look the other way." Oikawa's smile made Kuroo sweat. "Maybe I'll even help you out of the country. Or better yet, get you a pardon."

"You could do that?" 

Oikawa leaned back to look at Kozume, who had spoken. Kuroo had forgotten he was also in the room. Kozume stood by the toaster where his forgotten slices of bread had popped out a long time ago, eyes wide and lips slightly parted as he watched Oikawa.

"I have some strings within the academy," Oikawa smiled, and to Kuroo's astonishment, Kozume mirrored it.

"Don't you use any of your weird Fae magic on him," Kuroo hissed, feeling the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end. Oikawa tilted his head and shrugged. He lurching up to his feet, hand grabbing hold of Kuroo's shoulder.

"I'm going to clean up and sleep for a few hours, but afterwards I'll bring you up to speed on the target," Oikawa said. Kuroo felt Oikawa's nails digging into his shoulder. "Alright?" Oikawa continued glancing down at Kuroo before sweeping his gaze over to Kozume and then Yaku; who was still standing in the middle of the kitchen.

Yaku nodded his head, face a grim mask, while Kozume had already turned back to picking at his pieces of toast.

"Of course," Kuroo said, and bit back an angry hiss as Oikawa lifted his hand. He watched the tall man saunter out of the room.

"Frightening?" Kuroo said, after he was certain Oikawa was out of earshot. "He's terrifying."

* * *

Kozume descended back into the basement, after handing Kuroo the transmitter and requesting that it be installed a few houses down, in the mainframe box at the front. 

Yaku sighed as he took the transmitter from Kuroo. He ventured out, taking his time installing it properly. The whole setup was slowly starting to feel like the old days, with Kuroo at the head of the Nekoma-tachi, with Kozume acting as the driving force behind most of their criminal activities.

Oikawa had locked himself into the empty bedroom upstairs, and he didn't appear again until the sun was barely visible above the row of houses. He looked freshly pressed and well rested, the cheerful smile a stark contrast to his appearance only a few short hours earlier.

"Now then, let's see what we can get up to." Oikawa smiled, and gathered them around the dining room table before leaning back in his chair. The others followed suit and Oikawa laid out his plan.

* * *

Kuroo sat on a large closed dumpster outside an alleyway, watching the front doors of the five star hotel. He'd been there for a few hours already, taking short breaks, jumping down and trying to look as inconspicuous as he could, being a fairly large urban black cat. Ever since he'd grown into his ability, he had been thankful for his coloring -- so easy to blend into the night.

"Kuro," Kozume's small voice chirped in Kuroo's ear, the small bug lovingly crafted to fit him in both of his states. Kuroo let out a soft mew and licked his paw before scratching his ear, letting Kozume know he had heard.

"I've locked down into the hotel computers -- their security is atrocious. Looks like the target is staying in the penthouse, just like Oikawa had predicted." Kuroo could hear some rustling and then furious typing. "They haven't used the hotel wifi or plugged their computers in, so I can't get any traction on that side. From the intel Oikawa gave us and what I've found out, it seems they're going to be checking out tomorrow morning. Still no clues on the package, so I guess we just need to trust Oikawa on that one."

Kuroo meowed again and jumped down, landing softly in the damp alley. He hated walking in the city, it made his paws itch. 

"Ah!" Kozume exclaimed. "Yaku's coming out!"

Kuroo glanced around, keeping half an eye on the front doors, before spotting Yaku cross the road heading toward his alley.

"What a cute kitty," Yaku said, and picked him up. Kuroo hissed and swatted his cheek with his paw, careful to keep his nails retracted. "I saw the targets inside. Two men -- well dressed. Happened to see them finish dinner and head upstairs. Kozume, I have no idea how we're going to make the exchange if they are going to be in the penthouse. Can you do some of your magic?"

Yaku set Kuroo back down on the tall garbage bin, scratching his ear, carefully avoiding the one with the bug.

"It would be so easy if Oikawa would just-" Kozume started, but got an angry hiss from Kuroo in response. "I know, Kuro, but he could just walk in there and-" He was interrupted again, this time by a low mewl. Kuroo could feel the up turned pout and hunched shoulders even without seeing Kozume. There was furious typing on the other end.

"Ah! I found something," Kozume chirped. There was a ding, and Yaku flipped open his phone.

"Flight details?" Yaku asked, eyeing the document.

"It's booked under an alias, but I'm fairly certain it was bought with the same bank details as what paid for the room. I don't know if that will help us much, we still need to make the exchange tonight." There was a slurping sound, and Kuroo rolled his eyes, picturing Kozume sitting surrounded by his precious equipment, sipping on an icy.

"Yaku, send me those pictures, will you?" Kozume continued, and Yaku pulled out his phone, doing as he was bid. There was a moment of silence. "Kuro." Kozume's voice was barely a whisper. "Did you see the targets?"

Kuroo mewed and Yaku held up his phone. Kuroo felt his eyes widen, and to Yaku's obvious chagrin he jumped down,shifting as he landed.

"Fuck," Kuroo whispered as he crouched down behind the dumpster, happily hidden from view.

"What is it?" Yaku frowned and looked at the picture. He'd overheard the duo billing their dinner to the penthouse suite, and he hadn't been able to believe his luck, snapping a few pictures before fading out of the premises. 

"Don't you recognize them?" Kuroo pulled the phone out of Yaku's hand, going through the myriad of photos, desperate to prove what he saw as false. Yaku shrugged and took the phone from Kuroo. The two men in the photos, were impeccably dressed, one with striped silver-black hair and golden eyes and the other one of the most beautiful men Yaku had ever seen. He'd had to look at the gorgeous apparition twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"What? Who are they? I think I'd recognize them anywhere," Yaku said, glancing at the image; all he saw was a high end couple.

"That one-" Kuroo pointed at the silver-black haired man. "Is the head of Fukurodani."

Kuroo saw the blood drain from Yaku's face. He swallowed and gave an unguarded shiver.

"Oikawa expects us to steal something from the Fukurodani-syndicate head?" Yaku voiced the words that were on everyone’s mind.

"I don't like this," Kozume's small voice pierced through the headset.

"Is it worth risking getting killed?" Kuroo asked, racking his fingers through his messy black hair.

"We can't back down now! We owe a debt!" Yaku exclaimed, the cold sweat permeating from his back.

Kuroo growled."You made a pact with the devil, we didn't!" 

"Do you really think Oikawa will let you go without fulfilling the mission?" Yaku asked. "He knows where Kozume is. Hell, he's probably listening to us right now!" Yaku held his breath, as if waiting for Oikawa's voice on the line.

"So, either we get hunted down by Oikawa, the devil, or get killed tonight by two of the most dangerous people in the country. I prefer to live a few days longer," Kuroo said.

"We can't," Kozume broke through again. Kuroo lifted his gaze to the front doors, eyebrows knitted. "We have to do what we promised."

"Why are you so fucking adamant on helping Oikawa. Don't tell me he touched you!" Kuroo lifted his hand up to his ear, the only connection he had to Kozume.

"It doesn't work that way," Yaku broke in, only to be interrupted by Kozume.

"-Kuro. We made a promise."

Kuroo deflated, and Yaku knew he would do what it took now to finish this and stay alive. Kuroo shifted again, flicking his tail and jumping on the garbage bin and, Yaku could see the scowl in his feline features.

"I think I've pinpointed who is included in the Fukurodani group. They seem to have five other rooms booked in the hotel. They were under three different accounts, so it was a bit more difficult to decipher. Kuro, I managed to download the building schematics and I can see through the building cameras. There is one hitch though." Kuroo lifted his head and glanced at Yaku. He didn't like hitches. "They seem to have someone monitoring the traffic of the building, similarly to what I'm doing. They’re fairly good at it, too. They’ve completely disabled the cameras on the top two floors, along with the ones in the elevators, playing a simple loop to fool whoever is watching the feed online. It's really well done too. I think they are using a mixture of magic and-"

"Kozume, please," Yaku broke in, halting the long explanation he knew was about to come. There was a hiss of static across the line, and then a small sigh.

"Just let me think for a bit," Kozume finally said. "Yaku, go back into the lobby and see if you find any suspicious looking people. I'll send you a dossier of all the known Fukurodani operatives."

"Roger," Yaku said, and left Kuroo alone on his dumpster throne.

* * *

_"This is such a bad plan, this is such a bad plan,"_ is what Kuroo would have been saying if he'd had a set of human vocal cords. Instead he purred aggressively in Yaku's arms as the man skirted up the stairs toward the top floor. 

"Why are there so many fucking floors," Yaku muttered under his breath. "Also stop fucking squirming! If you aren't touching me, you'll be noticed!" 

There was a crinkle in Yaku's ear as the line was alive again. "I did loop the feed for the stair cameras, you know."

"Why the fuck didn't you do that to the elevators?" Yaku gasped, and slowed down at the door, only to see a large number 30 painted in red.

"They are too well guarded." Kozume's voice.

"How will you even know this'll work?" Yaku took a deep breath before sprinting up the steps.

"Because I read the dossier. Did you not read the dossier?"

"Not that part! The part-" A door opened somewhere along the shaft and Yaku bit his tongue, slowing his steps. There was a din a few floors up, and the door closed.

"...so fuckin' paranoid." The words echoed from above, reaching Yaku, who was standing back against the wall, trying not to make a sound while still creeping up, one step at a time.

"I'll go down," said the same voice, and footsteps descended while another voice yelled profanities before petering out and a second set of footsteps started - presumably up.

"Go into my jacket," Yaku hissed, unzipping the top. Kuroo narrowed his eyes and showed his teeth, only to be thrust head first inside the coat.

"Why are you so big," Yaku muttered under his breath, tugging Kuroo's tail inside and zipping it back up. The line in his ear had fallen strangely silent, even the small hiss of white noise had stopped.

Yaku swallowed and took a deep breath, concentrating on blending as he stepped up as softly as he could. It took fifty-nine stairs -- not that Yaku was counting -- for the man to appear in view. He'd made it to the doors leading to the 34th floor, opening it with quick-time lockpick and peering inside, before closing it again.

"34 is clear." The man held his ear as he spoke. He seemed to listen for a second, and then started to stroll down. Yaku made himself as small as he could, the weight of Kuroo heavy on his chest as Yaku held him out of sight. 

The man passed them with just a few centimeters to spare, and Yaku thanked his mother quietly in his heart for being such a small woman and a fae.

He waited until the man was around the bend before creeping up the stairs. Kuroo was getting impatient, popping his head out of the top of his jacket, and Yaku let it slide even though Kuroo did swat him with a paw the first chance he got.

"Just two dozen more flights," Yaku whispered, and continued up, his pace considerably slower now that he was jogging up the steps on the balls of his feet, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"You should be safe now," buzzed in his ear when Yaku landed on the 43rd floor. As soon as Kozume's voice filtered through Kuroo crawled out of Yaku's jacket with an angry growl and climbed onto his shoulder, shaking himself. He mewed, and nipped Yaku's ear before allowing himself to be carried once again.

"Just a few more stories," Kozume said into their ears, not really helping the fact that Yaku's thighs were burning and he never wanted to see another staircase in his life.

"Who thought this was a good idea?" Yaku gasped, and slowed down as he hit the 48th floor.

"Just ten more!" Kozume chirped. Yaku wanted nothing more than to take out the bug and crush it beneath his boot.

Finally, on the last flight of stairs, he let Kuroo down and grabbed his lockpick from his back pocket. It didn't take him long to crack the door open enough to let Kuroo through.

"Wait." Yaku pulled out the bug from his satchel, and Kuroo took it into his mouth gingerly. The door closed behind him and locked. 

The corridor was long, the carpet plush and freshly vacuumed, so Kuroo didn't make a sound as he made his way to the penthouse suite entrance. He stopped in front of a pair of massive pine doors. He placed the bug carefully on the ground next to the door, as close as he could to the small gap beneath. He extracted a single claw and pushed the small incision at the back of the bug. It sprang to life, crawling beneath the door and to the other side.

"Perfect," Kozume's voice said in Kuroo's ear. "Now, let's see what we have here."

* * *

Akaashi looked out the window of the penthouse suite. The city was bright, and the buildings opposite were too close for comfort. At least this building was taller than the others close by, so there should be no threat from snipers. He pulled the drapes over the view anyway, just in case.

He checked the adjoining room, nodding at Sarukui, who was munching on a piece of celery while flipping through the camera's in the building.

"Anything?" Akaashi asked, looking down at his set-up.

"Nothing new, Akaashi-san. Stop hovering over me, please just go keep Bokuto-san out of trouble. There is _no way_ he can get in here. Every single one of us knows his face by heart already!" Sarukui sighed in exasperation and dipped the celery into a small bowl of barbecue sauce.

Akaashi frowned at him, but left him alone, closing the door behind him.

"Stop pacing, Akaashi!" Bokuto was lounging on the large sofa, which took most of the space in the room, watching a huge TV mounted to the wall. There was a game on, but the volume was turned low, minimizing the impact of the flashing colors.

"They’re late," Akaashi said, eyes going to the front door.

"You made them go down sixty floors! It'll take some time!" Bokuto whined, not turning away from the screen. "Not even _he_ is crazy enough to barge in through the front doors! Sit down, you're making _me_ nervous!"

There was a hesitant knock on the door, and Akaashi was there in two seconds flat pushing the door open.

"-a cat. Must belong to the hotel." Washio was saying, looking down at the ground, Konoha right behind him.

"What's a cat?" Akaashi asked as he leaned propped the door open for the newcomers. 

There was a soft mew, and Akaashi spotted the fairly large black cat sitting on the plush carpet. Konoha bent down, and the cat arched its back, meeting the man's hand, causing him to laugh in delight.

"Cat?" Bokuto's voice pierced the air, and Akaashi turned just in time to see the man vault over the back of the couch and jog to the door. The black cat stretched and slipped away from Konoha's hand, butting its head against Bokuto's leg, making a soft purr deep in its chest in the process.

"Why is there a cat on this floor?" Akaashi asked the two men still standing in the hallway, while Bokuto squatted down and picked the unresisting cat up off the ground.

"Look at him, isn't he precious?" Bokuto asked as he scratched the black cat under the chin, causing it to close its eyes and purr in response.

"He must have hitched a ride in the elevator and gotten stuck on this floor," Washio said, glancing down the hall.

"You should just take him back to the lobby," Akaashi said as he watched the cat purr on Bokuto's lap, as he blissfully scratched its ears and chin.

"We can just take him down in the morning," Bokuto said as he lifted it up. "Did you see anything on the floors?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Washio reported. Akaashi waited for the duo to step inside before he locked the door. He took a deep breath and splayed his fingers on the wood, closed his eyes, and soon a soft iridescent glow spread through his fingertips, covering both of the doors, etching past the doorframe, and finally stopping halfway along the adjacent wall.

"Are we safe yet?" Bokuto asked as he sat -- feet on the coffee table, cat purring happily on his lap.

"Are you sure that's a cat? It could be some sort of trick." Akaashi walked to the couch eyeing the black thing. It had rolled onto its back, swatting at Bokuto's hand as he held out a ballpoint pen.

"It's just a cat, Akaashi. Not everything is an illusion. See, flesh and blood," Bokuto said and lifted the cat up, hands underneath its armpits. Its feet curled up underneath it and it eyed Akaashi curiously, tail whipping back and forth. "Have you ever seen such a docile cat? No wonder they've hired it as a furry friend ambassador. Haven't they, yes, they have - "

Akaashi rolled his eyes and glanced at the time.

"It's nearly two in the morning. We should sleep, for the few hours we can before we have to go. Washio, I'm leaving you in charge while the rest of us get some sleep. Make sure Sarukui doesn't need anything, he's manning the computers tonight. I don't like this. It's too quiet," Akaashi said, crossing his arms.

"It's never good with you, Akaashi." Bokuto let the cat down onto the couch and promptly forgot about it. He leaned forward, elbows resting on the back of the couch, a soft smile on his lips. "We'll finally be rid of it after tonight! They’ll come get it tomorrow morning and it'll be out of our hands for good!"

"I don't like this," Akaashi reiterated, only to be pulled forward by Bokuto's strong hand.

"We've done what we can. We have lookouts on every floor. We know who he associates with. The room is secure, there’s no way anyone will be able to come in here. It's been warded and locked so tight, I'm amazed air can still pass through. No one will be able to break in." Bokuto climbed over the couch again -- he seemed to be incapable of going around it -- and, taking Akaashi's hand, pulled him along toward the master bedroom.

Akaashi glanced back once, eyes landing on the cat. It had curled up into a ball and was dozing on a cushion at the end of the couch.

"Keep an eye on the cat," Akaashi said to the two men left in the room, before the door closed behind them.

* * *

Kuroo arched his back and yawned before jumping down from the couch.

"You're amazing," Kozume murmured in his ear. The voice was distorted and crackly from the wards placed around the room. Kuroo slipped under the coffee table. The two men were talking, but soon one of them left, slipping into an adjacent room. The remaining man yawned and, scratching his head, walked to another door to knock.

"I think I found it," the voice said again, snapping Kuroo's attention from the man. "There’s good news and bad news."

Kuroo mewled softly and sat up, licking his paw.

"Good news. It's not in a safe! Bad news, it's in the bedroom that Akaashi and Bokuto retired to. More bad news, there's no way you can leave through the door without Akaashi disengaging his ward. He's really good." 

The line went silent. Kuroo walked to the bedroom door and looked up. The handle was a knob, so he wouldn't be able to open it with his paws -- and it looked like he'd have to stay in his disguise until morning, anyway, so no knocking people out and running.

 

"What are you doing, cat?" The man asked, glancing back into the room. 

Dammed if he could be adorable. Kuroo rolled onto his back and mewled loudly. He scratched at the door again, making sure to be as loud as he dared. The man had closed the other door now, and was walking towards him. 

Kuroo opened his mouth, and yowled. The man darted at him, and Kuroo leapt, landing on the man's shoulder, claws digging in deep.

The door opened. "What’ is all this noise - ?" Bokuto had discarded his suit jacket, white shirt half undone as he stood, hand on the door handle. 

Kuroo took his chance and leapt, landing softly on Bokuto's shoulder. 

"Cat?" Bokuto held up his hand. Kuroo let himself be picked up, purring.

"I think it likes you, Bokuto-san," the man said, rubbing the shoulder Kuroo had used as a springboard.

"Do you like me, cat?" Bokuto asked, hand hovering over Kuroo's chin, and Kuroo took the chance to lick him once with his coarse tongue. Kuroo could see the precise moment he won Bokuto over completely, as Bokuto’s face melted into that smile that was reserved only for first loves and beloved pets. 

Bokuto didn't look away from the cat as he started to close the door. He blinked and glanced at the man, gave him a grin. "Thanks, bro." 

Bokuto closed the door.

Kuroo purred, and peered around the room the best he could. The room was large, dominated by a king sized bed. There was a small table with chairs around it, along with a desk, but they were both devoid of any personal effects. Kuroo turned his head and spotted three suitcases on the ground, two closed and set neatly next to each other;the third had a myriad of shirts haphazardly strewn on top.

"So, you'd rather play with the cat than with me?" Akaashi's voice pierced the air, and Bokuto looked up, guilty. Kuroo turned his head to look at the beautiful man who stood at the other side of the bed, hand resting on his hip and a frown marring his features.

"Sorry, Keiji," Bokuto said, and let Kuroo jump out of his arms. He slipped underneath the bed, listening intently.

"I'm taking a shower," Akaashi stated, and Kuroo could see him pull off his socks and turn around, disappearing from his limited view. 

"Keiji," Bokuto repeated, and Kuroo watched him follow in Keiji's footsteps. The door shut once more.

Kuroo slipped from underneath the bed and jumped up on top, mewing softly, hoping Kozume would catch the sound. In the other room, the shower hissed to life.

"Can you see my roach?" Kozume's voice filtered through the earpiece, the last word cracking painfully in Kuroo's ear. Kuroo peered around and spotted a soft blinking at the back wall where the three suitcases waited. He jumped down and padded to the roach, mewed once."According to what Oikawa gave me, the signature comes from that suitcase. The case should be in there."

Kuroo eyed the suitcase -- it was a dark fabric, and easily carry-on sized. He glanced at the shower. They'd been in there for two minutes, tops. Would Akaashi's ward detect a shift? He didn't know. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Kuroo breathed out, and as he shifted. He opened them again, quickly flexing his fingers and opening the suitcase. "I have it open," Kuroo hissed, hoping the tiny microphone would pick it up.

"There should be a case." Kozume's voice was full of nervous energy. Kuroo lifted two dress-shirts to the side to reveal a non-descript leather case.

"I think I found it. Leather, nothing special." Kuroo picked it up and placed it on the floor. He eyed it, critically, before quickly slipping on a pair of surgical gloves from his trusty toolbag. "You'll need to run me through this. We don't have a lot of time."

"Open the case..." Kuro did as was instructed. It was dark leather inside; small runes and figures seemed to have been burned onto the leather, marring the otherwise perfect finish. He ignored them, instead concentrating on what was inside. "There should be three pouches. Take the rightmost one, but don't open it. Is it heavy?"

"It feels like a powder," Kuroo replied as he lifted the pouch. It was a soft silver fabric, and it was heavy, but not a bottle like Oikawa had requested.

"Okay, that's not the right one then. Put it back and try the left one."

Kuroo placed the silver pouch back into its resting place, before taking the left one in hand. It was a dark brown, matching the brown leather of the case. "It's a bottle. Small and square." Kuroo felt the bottle clearly through the pouch. It had sharp edges, and felt like thick glass.

"Okay, what about the last one?"

Kuroo placed the second pouch down and taking the final one in hand. It was lighter than the last two, in another brown. "Another bottle. More round, long neck."

"Fuck. He said bottle, but not what kind. Okay, you'll need to open the pouches. The liquid should be a dark shimmering blue."

Kuroo cursed under his breath, but lifted a mask from his bag, along with a pair of goggles. He pulled out a white handkerchief next, and placed it on the ground before carefully placing the pouch on top. "Okay. I'll open the small square one first. Here's to hoping."

Kuroo took a deep breath, and, holding it, he opened the pouch just enough to glance inside. The bottle was light, shimmering glass, with an intricate design etched onto the sides, but the liquid sloshing inside was a deep, velvety red. He closed the pouch quickly, placing it back into the pack.

"Option two was a bust," Kuroo gasped out, finally letting air into his lungs.

"Just take the last bottle and pack it up!" Kozume's voice came out hushed and urgent. Kuroo lifted a fourth small leather pouch from his bag, handed to him by Oikawa, and he placed it on the handkerchief. Taking another deep breath, he took the last pouch from the case and placed it beside the duplicate. Carefully, he took a small wooden rod, placing it on top.

"I really hope this works," Kuroo muttered and snapped his fingers. His ears perked, the shower had cut off. The fourth bag stood silent on the handkerchief, now identical to the one Kuroo had placed there seconds before.

Kuroo took the duplicate pouch and placed it carefully in the case, closed it and placed the shirts back on top before closing the suitcase. He wrenched off the goggles and mask, pushing them haphazardly into his bag before wrapping the pouch, along with the bottle and the rod, into the handkerchief. He swallowed, and carefully looped it into a bag of holding. He snagged the roach last, and put it inside, before pushing everything into the bigger bag over his shoulder and shifting mid-stride toward the bed. He scuttled underneath, eyes adjusting more slowly than he would have liked. 

The door creaked open with a puff of steam.

"It's nearly three, Keiji," Bokuto's voice echoed from above. Kuroo slipped out from under the bed, arching his back against Bokuto's leg, tail twirling against his shin.

"Oh, there you are." Bokuto bent down to pat Kuroo's head.

"I'm not sleeping with that thing in the room." Akaashi loomed over them, towel wrapped around his hips, a smaller one in his hands as he dried his hair.

"He's not a thing!" Bokuto exclaimed, and Kuroo let himself be picked up again. Akaashi rolled his eyes and walked over to the suitcases. Kuroo felt his heartbeat accelerate as he watched the man bend down toward the carry-on.

"I'll just take him to Sarukui, then," Bokuto said, and Kuroo mewed in response. Akaashi ignored them, rummaging for clothes. Kuroo saw a flash of the small leather case, but Akaashi thrust it aside as Bokuto pulled the door open.

"Now, be a good cat," Bokuto said, and Kuroo slipped out of his hands, falling lightly to his feet and padding over to the couch, curling up to a ball next to the sleeping man. 

Bokuto sighed, and Kuroo could hear him close the door.

"That's one way to handle that. Be careful," Kozume's voice whispered in his ear, before falling silent once again.

* * *

Yaku sat, huddling in a poorly lit doorway, trying to ward off the cold morning air. His breath misted as he hugged himself, waiting. He glanced at his watch and stood, stomping his feet, trying to get feeling back into his numb toes.

"Miss me?" the familiar voice purred, and Yaku started, shoulder grazing the rough concrete wall at his back. 

Kuroo stood in front of him. Yaku sighed, and pointed at his own head before taking a step toward Kuroo and pulling Kuroo's hood over his head. The tall man frowned and touched his hood.

"You were a cat too long," Yaku said as he checked Kuroo's hands -- the nails were a bit too sharp, but otherwise they were fur-free.

Kuroo grumbled, but allowed Yaku the inspection.

"Kuroo?" Kozume's voice echoed worry.

"He's fine," Yaku said. "Ears haven't quite shifted, eyes are a bit too yellow and nails sharp, but he’ll pass for now. Let me know right away if you have an urge to eat fish or barf up hairballs." Kuroo gave him a glare but didn't say anything.

"You shouldn't shift for a while," Kozume piped in, and they started down the street. Yaku hailed a cab. They rode in silence to the closest metro station and Yaku paid, Kuroo keeping his hands deep in his coat pockets. They stumbled down the steps, Yaku holding onto his friend, carefully guiding him through the early commuters. Kuroo kept his head down and eyes averted, letting Yaku lead them through the stations and to the train. 

They rode, doubling back twice to switch lines before surfacing once again. There was a bus at the front of the station, and they jumped in, riding a few stops before exiting. They'd entered the wharf. There was a distinct stench of fish in the mid-morning air. 

"Do you think we should get a car?" Kuroo asked. The streets were quiet, but they still had a ways to go. "Too risky, Kozume?" His question was answered with silence.

A large black SUV drove up before stopping in front of them. Kuroo felt his breath hitch. The tinted window rolled down. 

"Hey, friends," the man in the car smiled warmly. He had close cropped black hair, which screamed cop.

"How can I help you?" Yaku asked and smiled warmly. Kuroo felt a surge of friendliness mingled with empathy. 

"I was wondering if you could help me out. I'm looking for somebody," the man said. "I think you could help me."

"I'm sorry, but we're just tourists. We don't really know anyone from this area," Yaku said, his smile not wavering as he pulled at Kuroo's arm, moving him along away from the car. 

The car swerved, wheels hitting the curb as it rode up to the sidewalk before halting. 

The door slammed open, and the man leapt out hand grabbing Yaku's forearm. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that," the man said. Kuroo hissed, and Yaku turned just in time to see Kuroo scratch the man across the face, fingernails curved into claws.

"Fuck," Yaku cursed, and wrenched himself free, the man clutching his cheek in pain. 

They ran.

"Kozume!" Yaku yelled, but there was only silence on the other end. Kuroo's hood had fallen down to his shoulders, black ear flattened flat against his messy hair, partially hidden, but not good enough.

There was a crackle on the other line, and a new voice spoke. "I knew this might happen." Yaku bristled recognizing Oikawa. "He's probably not alone, so be careful, Yaku."

"I'm always careful," Yaku hissed, hand clutching Kuroo, who hadn't said a word. Yaku glanced at him, but Kuroo was looking straight ahead, jaw clenched.

"Can you hotwire a car?" Oikawa asked.

"Where's Kozume?" Yaku threw back.

"I'm right here," Kozume's voice echoed through the microphone. "Kuro."

"Did you get the thing?" OIkawa interrupted, and the line fell silent again.

"Yeah, we got the bottle and left a fake behind. I don't think that guy was a part of the Fukurodani syndicate," Yaku explained, and pulled Kuroo into an alley and into a hidden doorway.

"Yes," Oikawa said. "It seems you met my old friend Matsukawa."

"What! You _knew_ that guy," Yaku exclaimed, and then fell silent as he heard footsteps approaching.

"Get into the building," Oikawa hissed, and Yaku ignored him, lockpick already in use. Seconds later he pulled the door closed behind him, Kuroo still silent beside him.

"Kuro," Kozume's quiet voice spoke through his earpiece..

"He's fine," Yaku said, hoping he was correct. Kuroo looked at him and blinked, as though coming from a daze.

"I'm fine, kitten," Kuroo said, his voice quiet, but steady.

"Go to the second floor," Oikawa broke through again, causing Kuroo's features to twist abruptly.

"After I give you this god forsaken bottle, I'm _out_ ," Kuroo hissed as he took for the staircase. "We're out," he reiterated, nearly growling.

"I'm fine with that," Oikawa sighed.

"This had better not be a dead-end, Oikawa," Yaku muttered as he leapt up the stairs after Kuroo.

"Go to the door second furthest from the right," Oikawa continued, ignoring Yaku's words.

Kuroo stopped in front of the correct door in the nondescript corridor. The building looked like a warehouse, the doors numbered but without names. The floor was void of dust, so it was used frequently enough to merit a cleaning crew, it seemed.

"Okay, we're here," Yaku said. 

The door swung open, nearly colliding with Kuroo's face, his reflexes barely saving him as he leapt back.

"Welcome," Oikawa chirped and, glancing quickly down the hall, he pulled the two inside.

"What-" Yaku blinked, as Oikawa closed and locked the door. Kozume sat by a bay window; a soft pattering rain hitting the windowsill. As he saw Kuroo, Kozume dropped his headphones on top of the laptop he was holding and, with an unusual amount of vigor, rushed to Kuroo's side, pulling him down close enough to look into his eyes.

"You were shifted too long, Kuro," Kozume said, blinking, and Kuroo gave him a tight smile before pulling away.

"The bottle." Kuroo turned and thrust his small shoulder bag at Oikawa. "We're free to go now, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Oikawa said, and took the bag before continuing, "You're free to leave whenever you want." He rummaged through it until he found the pouch, discarding the bag onto the floor. "Of course, out that door it's almost ten in the morning and there are about four -- no, make that five cops -- within a block from us." He looked up at Kuroo under his brows. "But you can go."

"How-" Yaku started, but stopped, as Oikawa turned his gaze at him.

"They were following me the whole time." Oikawa shrugged, pocketing the pouch after making sure the small blue bottle was really inside.

"You bastard," Yaku said, and swallowed. "You set us up."

"Not really," Oikawa said. "I never said anything about that."

"You said you could get us a pardon," Kozume's voice broke in.

"I did?" Oikawa tapped his chin and rocked on his heels.

"You're trapped here with us." Yaku felt his breath go ragged, his nostrils flaring as he tried to calm down.

"Oh, I guess I am. Or not," Oikawa shrugged again.

"I told you not to trust him," Kuroo said, his voice monotonous as he leaned against the wall, Kozume still standing in front of him -- protective.

Oikawa laughed. The sudden sound pulled the other three from their thoughts, squaring their eyes back on the tall man.

"Don't be so gloomy! It's not the end of the world," Oikawa chuckled.

"What the hell was in the bottle," Kuroo hissed through his teeth. "I heard Bokuto talk about it. He sounded afraid."

"It's nothing you need to be concerned about. It won't affect you in any way," Oikawa assured him, but all his words did was cause Kuroo's hackles to rise. 

Oikawa's face fell, and suddenly there was a noticeable chill in the room. "Stay in this room. It's mostly secure in a temporary space. They shouldn't be able to tell from outside. I'm going to go out, and if the cops do find you, somehow, go with them for your own safety. I'll make sure you won't be in custody long."

"And now you expect us to trust you?" Yaku asked, incredulous. 

"Trust me or don't trust me, the result is the same. Go out and you'll be caught. Stay here, and you might not be caught, it's all the same to me," Oikawa brushed past him, pulling out a phone.

His hand was at the door knob when Kozume stopped him. 

"I know a little," Kozume said and Oikawa's eyes hardened. "Don't take too much." 

Oikawa watched him for a moment, but then, to everyone's surprise, he nodded. Kozume let his hand fall, and then Oikawa unlocked the door and was gone.

Yaku fell on the door as soon as it clicked shut, locking it securely, the slight warping near the doorframe catching his eye. 

"I think we should leave," he said, turning to the other two. 

Kuroo had slumped down, head between his legs."We can't," Kozume said, kneeling in front of him, hand on Kuroo's knee.

"He'll be alright," Yaku said. "But we might not be if we stay."

"I'm staying," Kozume said, eyes not leaving Kuroo.

Yaku groaned and stalked to the window. The view had darkened as the rain poured harder through the valley small town that stretched beneath.

"Fine, we'll stay," he muttered under his breath, as he gazed down onto the empty street.

* * *

Iwaizumi stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed as he waited for Hanamaki, who was still inside the car, radio in hand. He was about to knock on the window when Hanamaki finally put the radio down and turned, opening the door.

"Well?" Iwaizumi asked, his frown not changing.

"It seems he managed to steal it, after all," Hanamaki said. "The raid was a bust, there was nothing like it in the case. Why would he steal something like that in the first place?" 

"Who knows, to lay a new wave of destruction?" Iwaizumi kicked at nothing. Hanamaki glanced at him, and he rolled his eyes. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in years. He completely disappeared off the radar." After Oikawa had dropped out from the academy, Iwaizumi had met him only once. He'd looked worn and haggard. Iwaizumi wished he had stopped Oikawa at that time. Just thinking about it was difficult.

"Can you still feel him?" Hanamaki asked suddenly. Iwaizumi whipped his eyes back to the other man. Unconsciously, he felt at the small throbbing presence at the back of his mind -- the only thing left of magic within him.

"No, of course not. I don't feel anything, remember?" Iwaizumi swallowed.

"You're a shit liar, Iwaizumi," Hanamaki replied.

A phone rang. Iwaizumi pulled out his cellphone from his pocket and stared at the number for a moment without answering.

"What-" Hanamaki started, leaning over Iwaizumi's shoulder to get a glimpse at the number. "How does he still have your-" Iwaizumi stepped away and down the street, finger on the dial he swiped to the right.

"Hello," Iwaizumi said.

"Iwa-chan." The familiar voice filled his head with memories he desperately tried to push down. "I think I did something bad." There was a lilting tone in Oikawa's voice.

"Where are you? Do you know how many people are looking for you and your accomplices?" Iwaizumi swallowed and stopped, glancing back, making sure Hanamaki hadn't followed.

"How much time do I have?" Oikawa asked, and there was something wrong. Iwaizumi suddenly felt it clearly as he broke into a cold sweat, a sickly dread prickling his stomach. The only consolation for being left, broken and useless was the knowledge that Oikawa was still out there, somewhere.

"You knew we were monitoring you, and you still -- I mean, how did you -- where are you?" Iwaizumi stumbled over his words, not quite certain which answer he wanted to hear first.

"I missed you, Iwa-chan. It's good to hear your voice." Iwaizumi heard Oikawa sigh.

"Are you hurt? Did something happen?" Iwaizumi asked, trying to keep his voice calm, unfeeling.

"You can still feel it, right?" Oikawa asked, ignoring his questions. "I wonder if you can still find me." The line fell dead, and Iwaizumi cursed under his breath.

"That was Oikawa, wasn't it?" Hanamaki called out to him.

"I need to go," was all Iwaizumi said, speed walking toward Hanamaki, who sighed.

"Do you need backup?" Hanamaki asked. "I can't in my good conscience send you there alone, _but_ if I didn't know where you were going--"

"Thanks." Iwaizumi clapped his hand on Hanamaki's shoulder, and left. 

He pulled out his phone, quickly turning off the power and pulling out the battery from the back before pocketing it again. 

He took a deep breath, and shuddered, the nausea still persisting as he walked. Iwaizumi let his feet lead him, and soon he was in front of a warehouse. He tried the door, finding it unlocked. He stepped inside, light filtered through the large bay windows into a large, mostly empty space, drenching it in a myriad of light and shadows. 

Iwaizumi let the door close behind him, blocking out the soft hum of the city with an ominous, soft click. It didn't take long for Iwaizumi to spot Oikawa sitting on a box near the back wall; he was half shrouded in shadow, feet stretched out as his head dipped back, eyes closed. Iwaizumi took a step, hesitant, but Oikawa didn't move a muscle.

"Trashykawa," Iwaizumi called to the other man, not bothering to hide his footsteps as he walked over briskly, not stopping until he was within grabbing distance. He watched as Oikawa's eyes fluttered open and he jerked forward, startled.

"It's been a while," Oikawa whispered and licked his lips, eyes unfocused. He blinked and turned his gaze up to meet Iwaizumi's. He looked pale, even in the dim light.

"It's been years," Iwaizumi responded. "Why now? You stole it, didn't you?"

Oikawa laughed, the sound sordid and warped in the large space. "Of course I did, Iwa-chan." He chuckled and shook his head. "Do you know how long I searched for it?"

"You _do_ know that theft is a crime?" Iwaizumi crossed his arms.

"Is it theft when you steal from the person who stole it, and was going to use it for illicit gains?" Oikawa let his head fall onto his shoulder as he continued to watch Iwaizumi. Oikawa's hair had fallen forward over his eye, and Iwaizumi had the insane urge to fix it.

"What did you do with it?" Iwaizumi asked, his voice gaining power as he thrust his personal feelings aside.

"Can you feel it yet?" Oikawa asked, and lurched forward onto his feet. He stumbled, causing Iwaizumi to hold out his arms, just to steady him. Oikawa looked at him, just a hand's breadth away, and Iwaizumi let his fingers slide down Oikawa's arm and fall back down to his side. 

Iwaizumi blinked and his heart fell to his stomach, eyes widening in comprehension. "You used it on yourself, didn't you?" Iwaizumi asked and he looked down on the ground unseeing, trying to feel, trying to notice any change from an hour ago. There was a tiny trickle of something, but it was still small, insignificant. "Why would you do that? You don't know how it'll-"

"I had to do it. I severed all of them. Every single tie I'd created to get to yours." Oikawa laughed at the stricken look on Iwaizumi's face. "Did you really think you were the only one? You might have been the first, but there were dozens after you. I was so good at it, too. I could persuade anyone, even people who were already taken. Anyone."

"If that's what you wanted, you could have just-" Iwaizumi countered, only to be interrupted again. 

"I couldn't ask you. When it happened, I didn't know what was going on-" there was an old pain in Oikawa's voice. "-and I didn't do it just for myself." Oikawa shuddered, arms wrapping around himself. "If I don't die, please..." Oikawa pitched forward, and the only thing keeping him from falling onto the floor was Iwaizumi wrapping his arms around him. He gave a sharp gasp, eyes watering as Iwaizumi sat him down carefully on the floor.

"The potion made you sick. Why? Why'd you do it?" Iwaizumi asked. There was a sudden tremor and Iwaizumi found himself kneeling beside Oikawa, who was sitting with his head between his knees, rocking back and forth, vaguely green. Iwaizumi felt his hands press against the cold cement, locking him in place. There was a distinct ringing in his ears and a sudden flood of life filled his senses to the brim. "What the fuck did you do?" Iwaizumi gasped.

Oikawa sighed. "I told you Iwa-chan. I severed them all. Every connection I'd made or destroyed. You can feel it now, can't you?" Iwaizumi lifted his gaze, eyes watering with the sensory overload. Oikawa laughed; the sound was weak and small. "You feel it. I'm glad." He shuddered again eyes blinking back tears. "I hope I don't die."

"You're not going to die," Iwaizumi swore, his fingertips tingled as he lifted his palm onto Oikawa's chest.

"Don't you dare. You were shit at healing seven years ago. I don't think you'll do any better now," Oikawa hissed.

"Just bind me again," Iwaizumi whispered, his hand falling down onto Oikawa's knee. He felt a pang of regret at the feeling of life coursing through his veins. "I'm already so used to it. It's been years since I used magic. I stopped caring about it ages ago. All I wanted was --"

"Stupid," Oikawa took a deep breath. "If I don't die, give the rest to Takeru so he doesn't go through this."

"Have you even gone to see your family? Takeru is fine. He manifested, but he will never be as strong as you. I made sure he understood what was going on after you disappeared. It was hard on all of us." A door opened somewhere and a faint breeze shifted the dust on the ground. "Why did you run away? Why didn't you talk to me? Like a normal person!"

Iwaizumi glanced back down, but Oikawa's eyes had fluttered closed.

"God dammit," Iwaizumi swore under his breath. He shifted, lowering Oikawa onto his back before standing up. He felt a little shaky, but after a few good breaths he bent down again, lifting Oikawa up and over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. There was a clink, and Iwaizumi stopped; something had hit his chest. He lifted his hand and pulled out a small, long-necked bottle out of Oikawa's pocket. It shimmered in the low light. A deep blue liquid sloshed around inside.

"Iwaizumi!" a voice called out and Iwaizumi quickly pocketed the bottle.

"I see you caught him." Kunimi jogged toward him.

"More like he gave himself up. He's sick," Iwaizumi said, shrugging Kunimi away when he offered to help.

* * *

The hospital room was stark and quiet when Oikawa opened his eyes. He tried to move his hands up to shield his eyes from the light, but though his right hand obliged, his left didn't. It took him a moment to realize he had been handcuffed to the bed.

"You're awake." Iwaizumi stood up from the chair in the corner of the room, and Oikawa sighed. So he hadn't died, after all.

"So, am I charged with something?" Oikawa asked, and rattled his cuffed hand against the metal railing.

"They won't say. They haven't charged you yet."

"Kageyama?" Oikawa asked.

"He seems to have short-term memory loss."

"Kyotani?" Oikawa winced as he admitted to knowing the blond witch.

"Has never heard of you." Iwaizumi scoffed.

"I see," Oikawa said, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "What about you?"

"I still feel the same," Iwaizumi leaned forward.

"Did it work?" Oikawa glanced at him, before letting his gaze drift back up.

"More or less."

"Hajime," Oikawa said, and waited.

"That won't work anymore," Iwaizumi said, and Oikawa closed his eyes with a deep sigh. "Tooru." 

Oikawa felt a sudden fluttering in his stomach. "Yes?" he asked blinking his eyes open; finally taking the time to properly look at Iwaizumi.

"How does it feel to get your own medicine?" Iwaizumi asked, looming over him.

"You always make me feel that way," Oikawa confessed easily, watching Iwaizumi flush and lean away, back toward his chair.

There was a cough at the door, making them both snap back from each other.

"You still adamant about not joining the force?" Ushijima asked as he shut the door. He paced forward to the end of the bed, his mere presence setting them both on edge. Ushijima looked from Iwaizumi to Oikawa and crossed his arms. "You're clean, as always. It seems your friends are also innocent. Oddly enough, they were all convicted seven months ago for a crime they seemingly didn't commit."

"Friends?" Oikawa asked as he pulled himself up as far as his handcuffed hand would allow.

"We also managed to catch three of the Fukurodani-syndicate people, under very suspicious circumstances...oddly enough, though, their head wasn't at the raid, even though they clearly had him marked to be on that flight."

"Why are you telling me this?" Oikawa asked.

"Oikawa Tooru, quarter fae. Manifested latent magical ability when you were sixteen. Four years later, you dropped out of the academy and disappeared," Ushijima listed quietly.

"Are you going to go over my life story again, Ushiwaka." Oikawa leaned back against his pillows, tired.

"They tested you when you came to the hospital, you know. You're completely purged of magic. Almost as though something had sucked all of it away. The doctors were baffled," Ushiwaka continued. Oikawa saw Iwaizumi stiffen from the corner of his eye.

"I guess I caught something," Oikawa replied, keeping his gaze neutral and pointed at the back wall.

"Nobody catches an _anti-magic cold!_ " Ushijima's voice rose. A glass on the counter cracked..

"So why do you care?" Oikawa finally looked back at Ushijima's face. There was anger there, but it soon crumpled as he caught Oikawa's gaze. "I don't have magic anymore. I can't join your little party, so why bother? I'm normal now."

"I - well." Ushijima swallowed and gathered himself. "Even without magic, you're a valuable asset."

"Can you take this off?" Oikawa held up his tied left wrist. Ushijima balked, eyeing him suspiciously, before turning and knocking on the door. A few minutes later he had a key and uncuffed Oikawa.

"How did you get such a high position anyway," Oikawa asked as he rubbed at his chafed wrist. "Never mind, I don't care."

"Your magic will come back if you let it," Ushijima's voice was quiet. Oikawa shot him a glance, but Ushijima wouldn't meet his eyes. Iwaizumi stood silent next to his bed, hands fisted at his sides.

Oikawa laughed, the sound soft and vibrating. "No wonder they never caught me. It was you." Oikawa looked up at Ushijima who squared his jaw. "I knew you had been in l--"

"Don't," Ushijima broke in, effectively shutting Oikawa up with one word. Iwaizumi quirked his brow, impressed. "Now for a more pressing question. Where is the rest of it?"

Oikawa pursed his lips sullenly and rolled his eyes. "I don't know. I passed out. You took my clothes-" he raised his arms pointing to his hospital gown,"-so I don't even know where my own things are. So, I can't really help you find a bottle you've misplaced."

"The potion you stole holds a very significant amount of a very dangerous substance. If we do not recover it..." Ushijima let his sentence peter out, eyes sharp on Oikawa.

Oikawa shrugged. "Am I free to go? Or am I still your prisoner even though I've committed no crime."

"Allegedly," Iwaizumi muttered under his breath, but he was blatantly ignored.

"I can't keep you here since you aren't being charged," Ushiwaka relented, crossing his arms. The thunderous scowl on his face spelled trouble.

"Well, I feel just fine, so if I could get my clothes back..." Oikawa pushed back the covers and attempted to get out of bed, only to have Iwaizumi push him back down.

Iwaizumi's hand clenched around Oikawa's forearm. "You're sick," he said through his teeth. Oikawa furrowed his brow, but said nothing as Iwaizumi pulled the sheets back up obligingly.

"I'll make sure your things are handed back to you," Ushijima said. He turned and stalked to the door. He paused, hand on the handle, before turning back. "It is a shame...about you both. I hope life treats you well." 

The door opened revealing a huddle of officers outside. Oikawa managed to catch a glimpse of Ushijima ushering them down the hall before the door finally shut.

Oikawa turned to Iwaizumi, who hadn't moved an inch."What did he mean?"

"I quit," Iwaizumi said, and sat down carefully on the edge of the chair he had vacated earlier.

Oikawa felt his fingers bunch up the crisp white sheets. "You did what now?" 

"I quit," Iwaizumi repeated, not meeting Oikawa's eyes.

"But you love the force," Oikawa hissed, trying to quiet the thumping of blood in his ears. Only for the truth to hit him. "You didn't tell them. About what I did. What it actually did. Why?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell." Iwaizumi shrugged.

"You're an officer! It's your duty to tell! Don't make this second year all over again."

"What happened then and what happened now are two completely different things! It's not like you stole it on purpose!" Iwaizumi had stood up again, looming over Oikawa, his words a sharp contradiction to the anger flowing from him in waves. "Besides, we were barely out of our teens. We had no idea what had happened!"

There was a soft cough from the door, and they both turned to look at Hanamaki, who stood in the doorway. He had a paper bag in his arms and a disgruntled looking Matsukawa at his back.

"It's like old times," Hanamaki said, as he pushed into the room, followed by Matsukawa. "We'd stumble in on you yelling, and then you'd shut up instantly when you realized you weren't alone."

"You're both so infuriating," Matsukawa muttered as he closed the door.

"I heard you quit," Hanamaki said to Iwaizumi, placing the paper bag on Oikawa's bed. "Here are your things, Oikawa."

"How much have you figured out?" Oikawa asked as he pulled the paper bag closer. He peeked inside to see his clothes neatly folded.

"You've always treated me like air - and not just you, Oikawa. You too, Iwaizumi, when it came to things to do with him." Matsukawa looked at Iwaizumi who sat down on the chair. "We aren't stupid."

"I never said you were," Iwaizumi said, refusing to meet Matsukawa's eye.

"It didn't take us too long to realize what had happened. Iwaizumi losing his abilities. His very unique abilities. It's rare for someone to be able to harness someone else's magic like that," Hanamaki said, and tilted his head to the side. "You have it back now, right?" Hanamaki flicked his wrist, and a small butterfly appeared on his finger. He let it fly, and it fluttered through the air as the four men watched to land on Iwaizumi's shoulder. It waved its wings, and Hanamaki called it back with a lifted finger.

"Do you know what that would have done yesterday?" Hanamaki asked as the butterfly floated back to him. "It would have disappeared completely." He grabbed the butterfly from mid-flight and crushed it between his fingers. It disintegrated into a small cloud of colorful dust.

"Going from being able to control other people's magic, to being completely _immune_ to almost all types of magic, overnight. And now with Oikawa here, getting back your old powers? Really? _Really?_ " Matsukawa huffed, brows furrowed. "How stupid do you think we are?"

Oikawa had his hand in the paper bag, riffling through. His fingers caught on a chain.

"I knew you'd figure it out eventually," Oikawa said as he pulled out the small vial charm.

"So you're going to confess. After all these years?" Matsukawa asked.

"What will you do? You can't arrest me," Oikawa looped the chain over his head. It settled down over his hospital robes.

"Do you know how much he suffered after you disappeared-?" Matsukawa continued. 

"Don't!" Iwaizumi broke in. He waved away the angry look Matsukawa shot him, turning to Oikawa. "You're just going to run away again?"

Oikawa started, and suddenly everyone was watching him. His eyes skipped over Hanamaki and Matsukawa, finally landing on Iwaizumi.

"I'm sorry, Iwaizumi. I just can't go back to how it was. You should ask for your job back. You can use magic now! It should be fine, right?" Oikawa smiled softly, causing the other three to eye him critically. "Don't give him too much of a hard time, right?" Oikawa glanced at Hanamaki and then Matsukawa. He winked, and crushed the small vial between his fingers.

There was an acrid smell of sulfur; seconds later, Oikawa was gone; along with the top blanket on his bed and the paper bag he had been clutching.

"- the fuck just happened?" Matsukawa paced forward, hands landing on the now empty bed as though it would bring Oikawa back.

Iwaizumi cursed under his breath and clutched desperately at the tiny bit of magical residue he could still sense, but it was fading fast. "Tell Ushijima that -- I don't know. Make something up." Iwaizumi took a deep breath and leapt forward. Hanamaki grabbed at his coat, but Iwaizumi managed to slip through his fingers as he followed -- and landed painfully on his stomach in a pile of dirt. 

Iwaizumi gasped as all the air exited his lungs. The magic had drained him, and he felt woozy as he turned to his back, vision blurring into oranges and yellows before focusing on the forest canopy above.

"I didn't think you'd have been that recovered yet," Oikawa's voice floated from a few meters away. Iwaizumi turned his gaze to see Oikawa pulling on jeans. The blanket was discarded on the ground, and on top lay the remnants of the bag Hanamaki had handed to Oikawa earlier.

"Wha--" Iwaizumi started, but the words slurred and it was hard to speak. 

Oikawa pulled on his jumper before turning and walking to Iwaizumi's side. He squatted down, that annoying smile on his face.

"I guess you're not quite up to snuff yet. I got really good at using your power in the last seven years. It worked so well with my allure! Almost anyone would let me use their magic!" Oikawa ran his finger along Iwaizumi's cheek before standing. He took a step away. Iwaizumi lurched forward -- the sky blurred -- but he managed to grab Oikawa's legs and they tumbled down to the ground together.

"Fuck," Oikawa cursed as he found himself pinned to the ground by a very angry looking Iwaizumi.

"Di-did you really think I would let you waltz out of there," Iwaizumi said, breathing hard, but already stable enough to keep Oikawa from moving. "You're powerless -- essentially. What the hell was that vial?"

"Just a little trick up my sleeve for a bad day. Of course, assuming there isn't a mimic around. You're heavy, Iwa-chan! Let me up," Oikawa whined. Iwaizumi glared and refused to move an inch -- mostly because he'd used up most of his stamina in grabbing Oikawa earlier.

"I'll let you up...if you promise not to do that again. You're not a fugitive, anyway...why do you always run away.?Why -?" Iwaizumi felt himself slip down; thoughts muddled and broken. felt fingers run through his hair and a calm voice mumbling his name before he gave in and blacked out.

* * *

When Iwaizumi came to, he was wrapped in the hospital blanket with a small smokeless fire burning close by. It didn't offer much heat, but it did chase away the dark shadows of night. There was something warm pressed up against his side, and it took him a moment to realize that Oikawa was leaning against the tree trunk behind them, effectively propping Iwaizumi up. Oikawa had his long legs angled toward the fire. He made no sound indicating he had noticed that Iwaizumi was awake.

Oikawa took out a stick and poked the fire, causing sparks to fly up and illuminate the lower branches of the trees before settling down once again. He shifted, and Iwaizumi glanced up just in time to see a hint of a smile on Oikawa's face before his fingers ran through Iwaizumi's hair.

"If you're willing to jump through a wormhole just to make sure I don't disappear, I guess I can let you hang around for a bit," Oikawa said softly, glancing down, meeting Iwaizumi's gaze. "Thank you for lending me your power for so long. I'm glad I could finally give it back to you."

Iwaizumi turned, but didn't move away, the soothing circles Oikawa's fingers created causing the drowsiness to return.

"Just keep your promise, Trashykawa," Iwaizumi muttered, and chuckled when Oikawa pulled on his hair lightly.

"Welcome to the Shade, Iwa-chan," Oikawa's voice was a soft murmur as Iwaizumi felt himself slipping back to sleep once again.

**Author's Note:**

> The magic prompt words I received were: Geas, Wonder Twin Powers, Mana Potion and Extranormal Prison
> 
> I managed to use 3 of the 4 words! Of course Hinata and Kageyama were the wonder twins.


End file.
